Courage Isn't Just For Superheroes

Courage: (kur-ij, kuhr-)
noun
The ability to do something that frightens one, strength in the face of pain or grief.



I used to think only great people did courageous things. People like soldiers, doctors, policemen, etc. The way I saw it, you must have some special skill set, or copious amounts of training to ever be put in a situation where you could look like a true bad ass.
Now, I consider myself to participate in acts of courage every single day.

Getting up and facing the day: Courageous.

Completing tasks that require any sort of energy: Courageous.

Not giving into urges: Courageous.

Staying on the path of recovery: COURAGEOUS.

To me, these are small victories in every single way. In this world we are living in, it can be a HUGE struggle to even get out of bed in the morning.
Depression and anxiety can play a huge part in this. Depression makes you feel worthless, incapable of facing even simple, every day tasks. Strips you of every desire you have to feel, to move, to participate in life.
Anxiety makes you terrified and wonder what will happen if you DO decide to get out of bed and conquer the day. It eats at your brain, making you think of every possible bad or detrimental situation that could happen from simply going outside your room.
Combine these two and BAM.
You have a lethal combination that prevents you from experiencing beautiful things. Beautiful things that LIFE provides.
Life is terrifying. Especially these days.
I am at a constant battle with myself.
I want to fit in and make everyone like me.
But I also want to be my own person and tell the status quo to go to hell.
So what if I'm not a size two?
So what if I have a big booty and curves?
Will this prevent me from getting out and doing amazing things?
 NO.
I get so worked up that girls feel the need to push themselves to impossible limits to be what society tells us is "beautiful".
Same with men: killing themselves to be what is "attractive",

Do you see why we all need courage?
We need courage to be our own, beautiful person.
To accept ourselves, when it seems like no one else will.
To love ourselves, when we may feel alone and scared.
To speak up and use our voices- when the world is telling us we are wrong.

I encourage all of you to celebrate your little victories.
Reward yourself for not telling your boss to go to you-know-where.
Reward yourself for smiling at that girl in your English class.
Reward yourself for conquering anything that makes you feel afraid, or uncomfortable.

Remember-
Courage isn't just for superheroes. :)


"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along."
-Eleanor Roosevelt





-Lela.